Carex plant named ‘Everglow’

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of Carex oshimensis, ‘Everglow’, characterized by its variegated foliage with green centers and creamy white and light orange margins and its an upright plant habit.

Botanical classification: Carex morrowii.

Varietal denomination: ‘Everglow’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Carexmorrowii and will be referred to hereafter by its cultivar name,‘Everglow’. ‘Everglow’ is a new cultivar of perennial ornamental grassgrown for container and landscape use.

The new cultivar arose through an ongoing breeding and selection programconducted by the Inventor in Oldtown, Stoneyford, Co. Kilkenny, Republicof Ireland. The new cultivar arose from self crossing of Carex morrowii‘Fisher's Form’ (not patented) in 2015. The Inventor selected ‘Everglow’as a single unique plant in 2016.

Asexual propagation of the new cultivar was first accomplished by tissueculture of meristem tissue by the Inventor in 2016 in Oldtown,Stoneyford, Co. Kilkenny, Republic of Ireland. Asexual propagation bytissue culture and division have determined that the characteristics arestable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and represent thecharacteristics of the new cultivar. These attributes in combinationdistinguish ‘Everglow’ as a distinct cultivar of Carex.

-   -   1. ‘Everglow’ exhibits variegated foliage with green centers and        creamy white and light orange margins.    -   2. ‘Everglow’ exhibits an upright plant habit.

‘Fisher's Form’, the parent plant of ‘Everglow’, is similar to‘Everglow’ in having an upright plant habit. ‘Fisher's Form’ differsfrom ‘Everglow’ in having variegated foliage with green centers andwhite margins. ‘Everglow’ can be most closely compared to Carex morrowiicultivars ‘Ice Dance’ (not patented) and ‘Ice Ballet’ (U.S. Plant Pat.No 20,228). Both ‘Ice Dance’ and ‘Ice Ballet’ differ from ‘Everglow’ inhaving variegated foliage with green centers and white margins.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceand distinct characteristics of a six month-old plant of the new Carexas field grown outdoors in a 9-cm container in Oldtown, Stoneyford, Co.Kilkenny, Republic of Ireland.

The photograph in FIG. 1 illustrates the plant habit and appearance of‘Everglow’.

The photograph in FIG. 2 provides a close-up view of the foliage of‘Everglow’.

The colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color valuescited in the detailed botanical description, which accurately describethe colors of the new Carex.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of six month-old plants of thenew cultivar as grown outdoors in 9-cm containers in Oldtown,Stoneyford, Co. Kilkenny, Republic of Ireland. The phenotype of the newcultivar may vary with variations in environmental, climatic, andcultural conditions, as it has not been tested under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The color determination is in accordance withThe 2015 R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London,England, except where general color terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

-   General description:    -   -   Plant habit.—Herbaceous perennial, flattened globular with            arching leaves.        -   Growth habit.—Upright, compact, arching foliage.        -   Height and spread.—30 to 40 cm in height and 45 to 60 cm in            diameter.        -   Hardiness.—At least in U.S.D.A. Zones 6 to 11.        -   Diseases and pests.—No susceptibility or resistance to pests            and diseases has been oberved.        -   Root description.—Short, stout rhizomes with dense, fibrous            roots, roots moderately branched.        -   Propagation.—Shoot division.        -   Root development.—A division will root in about 3 weeks and            a young plant will fully root in a liner in about 12 weeks.        -   Shoots.—An average of 22 main shoots growing from the base,            base of shoot is triangular in shape.        -   Growth rate.—Moderate.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Leaf shape.—Linear, strongly curved.        -   Leaf division.—Simple.        -   Leaf base.—Sheathing.        -   Leaf apex.—Long acuminate.        -   Leaf aspect.—Average angle of 30° to shoot axis, leaves            initially emerge upright, then cascade outward and finally            arch downward.        -   Leaf venation.—Parallel, upper and lower surfaces 143C.        -   Leaf margins.—Entire and moderately sharp when rubbed            downwards due to very small teeth too small to be seen or            measured.        -   Leaf size.—Average of 30.9 cm in length and 8 mm in width.        -   Leaf number.—Average of 11 leaves per shoot.        -   Leaf arrangement.—Alternate.        -   Leaf surface.—Upper and lower surface smooth, glabrous,            moderately glossy.        -   Leaf color.—Young upper and lower surface; 144A, margined            22A to 22B, mature upper surface; 137A, margined 24B,            margins fading towards the tip to 145D, mature lower            surface; 137C, margined 24B to 24C margins fading towards            the tip to 153D.        -   Petiole.—None.        -   Leave sheathes.—Average of 2.6 cm in length, 6 mm in width,            177D and 200D.-   Flower description: Flowers have not been observed.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Carex plant named‘Everglow’ as herein illustrated and described.